3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

[professor95]

professor95 wrote:
EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here.

In the eight year run of this thread we have amassed almost 10,000 postings and surpassed a million views. This creates somewhat of a dilemma for anyone who has just discovered the forum.

Since the amount of information is virtually overwhelming, I suggest you set your preferences for this thread to read "newest first" and then begin to page backwards.

What you will find in these pages is a wealth of info on virtually any make or model of Chinese manufactured synchronous (non-inverter) generator in the 3,000 watt performance class. Info will include how to rewire series coils to parallel to obtain maximum wattage from a single 120 volt outlet. Tips on further reducing sound levels, how to care for these generators, which ones are "RV ready" and provide the best overall performance for the dollar invested. Which companies NOT to deal with, where the best prices are, how to safely wire the generator into a home or RV, how to check your RV for electrical faults, sources for generator accessories, which 20/30 adapters are safe to use and which are not. How to convert a gasoline generator to propane or NG. This is only the beginning. The forum has a life of its own with the focus sub-topic switching frequently. Still, the main topic of utilizing the amazing, inexpensive Chinese gensets is always there. The amount of creativity and innovation presented in these pages is indicative of the talents shared in the diverse backgrounds of the folks who make up our combined RV community.

Many of the original brands and models of Chinese gensets mentioned in the introduction and early pages of the thread have since disappeared. New EPA and CARB emissions requirements, company bonds assuring the emissions warranty will be honored even if the company goes out of business, and fierce competition in the industry have changed the playing field. Champion Power Equipment has become the apparent "trophy team" providing an ever expanding retail outlet, an ample parts supply, a strong warranty and excellent customer service. CPE has continued to improve their product and now offers a new model (#46538) with exclusive convenience, safety and performance features aimed at the RV market. Big names like Cummins/Onan, Honda and Generac all now have Chinese built open frame synchronous gensets available. Ironically, the prices often found on these gensets has not significantly changed during the past eight years - even with the devaluation of the American Dollar and new EPA/CARB requirements.

I also encourage you to use the search function and even the advanced search options to find information. Key works such as "rewiring", "PowerPro", "Champion", "Onan Homesite", "Duropower", "ETQ", "Jiung Dong or JD", "Tractor Supply", "Costco", "Lowe's" and "Home Depot" are all examples of keywords that will give you specific information on different models being sold by retailers today.

Or, you can fill your glass with your favorite beverage (keep more close by - maybe some munchies as well :D, sit back at your computer, tell your wife (or significant other) that you will see her in the morning and spend the next 10 or so hours reading through the postings.

No one on the forum gets mad if you ask a question that is a repeat. Please do not hesitate to post to the forum. All questions are considered important and those active on the forum will do their best to respond with a valid answer.

Also note we are not out to knock the Honda, Yamaha, Kipor or other brands of high end digital gensets. We recognize the quality of these products and their suitability for quite, efficient RV use. But, there is a flood of reliable, inexpensive and comparatively lower cost gensets coming out of China that are excellent alternative choices for the RVer wanting power to run an air conditioner, microwave, etc. without excessive noise or breaking the budget.

Oh, one last thing. The folks on this forum are true gentlemen. We do not flame one another or the product discussed - period. Ugly contributors usually have their comments and remarks ignored by our masses. It is not a forum to start arguments to obtain a clear win. We do disagree on many issues, but we have all agreed to do that in a respectable manner.

We now have the introduction of more and more inverter gensets. There is a rather extensive thread named "The Official Unofficial Champion 2000i Generator" on this forum. Today, I added info on the new Champion 3100i inverter genset. Discussion on this product may get moved to its own thread at a later date.

Many have looked upon this thread with distain saying Chinese is cheap and doomed to failure. I remember saying exactly the same thing about Japanese products a few decades back. But, over the past eight years the track record for Chinese built generators has shown otherwise.

Please, join us in a fascinating journey down the Chinese built genset road of knowledge.

This is the question I posted that got it all started back in March 2005.......

Randy

For a little over a month now, I have been somewhat intrigued by the availability of a 3000 watt, 6.5 HP generator at Pep Boys and Northern Tool for under $300.00. The engine on this generator looks identical to a Honda 6.5 HP OHV engine. Knowing that the Chinese have become very adept at “cloning” reputable technologies from other manufacturers, I was not surprised at the similarities. Neither store could give me any information on the generator nor did they have a “running” display model.

I have done a little research. This is what I have discovered:

Many of these generators are imported by ELIM International (www.eliminternational.com) out of Buffalo, New York from Jiung Manufacturing in China. (The unit at Northern is identical but carries the JIUNG name.)

The engines are indeed a Chinese knockoff of the popular 6.5 HP 196cc Honda Engine. “Supposedly” Honda has licensed the engine technology to the Chinese manufacturer of the product.

The Chinese company that makes the ELM3000 generators is a rather large, diverse, long-standing company with a reputation for “above average quality” Chinese made products (Jiung Manufacturing). There are many more Chinese companies making almost identical gensets.

The generators at PepBoys do have a six month limited warranty. But, it is only on the engine (not the generator) and requires paying for shipping to and from Buffalo. Probably not a very practical thing to do if you have warranty issues.

ELIM does supply replacement parts (a PDF parts manual is available on the ELIM web site). No prices are given for replacement parts nor is there an “availability listing”.

The generator head itself is a brushless design. The only really significant wear parts in the generator are the bearings – most likely universally available.

The published dB rating is 67 at 23 feet. This is “reasonably” quite for a generator of this size as most comparabl.... The 67 dB rating is the same as Honda gives their 3000 watt CycloInverter with a “look alike” eng...

[professor95]

My question however is relevant to this thread... We're looking for a generator, and we're thinking we'd need 4KW or more... do you think the Champion from Checker would cut it??
Harbor Freight has a 9HP, 4000W/4500W Max which has the Robin Subaru Engine (Reportedly excellent) and a 2 year warranty for $469.99
They have the same unit with an electric start for $529.99.

Will the Champion cut it, or should we pony up the extra few hundred bucks??

The larger generators you referenced will be considerably louder, especially the one with the Robin engine (76-78 dB compared to 67 dB). The excess noise may prohibit you from using it in National Parks and some campgrounds since it ...

[professor95]

I'am trying to fine an old electrical clock so I may check the Hz = 60 and at the same time estimate the speed of the motor.

I'am I on the right track?

At this point, yes. Get the frequency right (58 to 62 Hz) and then worry about voltage. Actually, 108 isn't that low, 110-112V is typical for a moderately loaded Chinese Genny. It is when you get under the 100 mark that it is time to really start worrying.

BTW - what type of meter are you measuring voltage with?

[boucher1]

Professor95

I purchased a 3000W genset, LT3000CL(E) manufactured by Launtop, wholesaled by NORDIKER in MontreaL Canada.

I noticed that it produced between 107 to 108 volts. What could be the cause this problem, could it be the speed of the motor, not reaching 3600 RPM?

I'am trying to fine an old electrical clock so I may check the Hz = 60 and at the same time estimate the speed of the motor.

I'am I on the right track?

Any help would be appreciated:?.

A la prochaine

Roger

[Navychop]

Best of luck to you both.

And AZ seems to be a GREAT jumping off place for RVing!

[AZ_Ron]

Thanks Navychop! It's backed into the driveway right now, so it a few degrees off of level, but I'd hate to think it's too far off...
There's nothing in it at the moment, so I'll go toss a few things in it and maybe a cup or two of water in the freezer and see what it does.
My plan is to put the generator in the compartment at some point... It'll mount on a carrier in the trailer hitch for this coming trip though. The Gen compartment is decent size, I don't think I'd have a difficult time fitting a 4-4.5K unit in there without the gas tank... I'm looking into some kind of fuel pump so I can 'T' off of the RV's gas tank... Not sure which pump I need yet though.
Oh, and Em is VERY happy. This is her idea, her tax money that bought it. I love her to death!!! She's very easy to keep happy, and nobody glows like she does!!!

Thanks!!!

Ron

[Navychop]

AZ Ron:

Your reefer might be old enough to be sensitive to level. Make sure your unit is as level as possible, run it overnight on electricity with a few things in it, like water or soda cans, and some ice cube trays. Should all be cold in morning, and ice made or nearly so. If not, you have a problem. Replacement units are not cheap, but how much do you want to spend on repairs on a unit over 20 years old (assuming it's original)?

As to generator- do you plan on installing it in the location set aside for a generator, or carry it out back or somewhere else? If it's to go in the gen area, size constraints may drive your choice more than anything else.

BTW, I strongly recommend the electric start (yes, dear, I'm a believer now). That way, you might actually run it once a month for a few minutes to keep it in shape. Although my Kipor 3500Ti starts easily with the recoil, it starts even easier with the electric switch. My old Coleman (please excuse the foul language) 5000ER would start with recoil, but not easily.

P.S.- Keep Ember glowing. If SHE ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy.
🙂

[sadiebird]

re: chinese gentsets (3.3KW) I, have owned one and found the only thing wrong with it is has two 120 outlets which make up the total amps avaiable. 2x25amps,the manual says the receptacles are split so that 25 ampere may be drawn from each half of the receptacle or 15 amps. from each simultaneously.however the total power drawn must be kept within the maximum rating.I have run bth the a/c and the m/wave at the same time but had to shut down a/c to allow m/wave to function properly.It has sat around since last spring and all I did was drain carb and add fresh gas. It started on the third pull. Not bad for a cheapy.All in all I am happy with my investment($299.00) it is as quiet as they say and weighs in at 108 pounds.

[AZ_Ron]

Greetings! I'm new to the forums...
We just picked up an '82 Class C RV...
It's a 'Glendale' from Canada and seems to be in really
good shape. It's 21ft, has a Dometic fridge, gas stove/oven, water heater, fresh water tank, toilet/shower, and a rooftop AC...
I've got it hooked up to the house at the moment, and everything seems to work, but the fridge doesn't seem to be getting very cold...I just hosed it off...it had quite a bit of dust/dirt on it from sitting...we'll see how cold it is tomorrow.
My question however is relevant to this thread... We're looking for a generator, and we're thinking we'd need 4KW or more... do you think the Champion from Checker would cut it??
Harbor Freight has a 9HP, 4000W/4500W Max which has the Robin Subaru Engine (Reportedly excellent) and a 2 year warranty for $469.99
They have the same unit with an electric start for $529.99.

Will the Champion cut it, or should we pony up the extra few hundred bucks??

Inquiring minds want to know!!

Thanks!!

Ron and Ember

[professor95]

I prefer not to use any adapters, especially in damp weather. I have also had extra heat from resistance in the area of the plug of the adapter. For me, I'd pay a little extra to avoid the use of an adapter. If the gen's were equal.
JIM

Somewhere back in the darkness of the archives on this forum is a posting from a contributor who took one of the corded 15 amp to 30 amp dogbone adapters and cut the 15 amp plug off. He then direct wired the leads from the cut off end of the dogbone directly to the back of the 120 duplex outlet inside the generator front panel. The 30 amp TT plug was then brought out to the front and zip tied to the generator frame.

Cheap, easy, effective. I like things that way.

[professor95]

I think the Champion is a 4000 watt and Pro is a 3500 watt.

Actually, both deliver the same amount of power. It is a numbers and advertising game when it comes to how manufacturers come up with their ratings (RMS, Peak, Surge ????) for all of the Chinese generators with a Honda GX200 6.5 HP engine clone. You can neither create or destroy energy, only convert it. In this case, the major limiting factor in the conversion formula is the power of the gasoline engine.

[triplej]

jwitt wrote:
I agree with the Professor. I think either of the gersets are a good choice. It may come down to cost. The Champion plus shipping and the Pro 3500 plus the cost of a pigtail or adapter.
I prefer not to use any adapters, especially in damp weather. I have also had extra heat from resistance in the area of the plug of the adapter. For me, I'd pay a little extra to avoid the use of an adapter. If the gen's were equal.
JIM

I think the Champion is a 4000 watt and Pro is a 3500 watt. I am not sure how loud the Champion is, but the pro is rated at 67dBa. If they are equal in sound, I would have to go with the champion.

[cuchara_red1]

I have a Century 120. I have used it with .30 flux core wire at the highest amperage setting when plugged into my ELM3000 to weld a new 1/8" thick battery carrier frame into the front of my camper. The welder did not work as well as it does when connected to "shore power". While the metal was pretty thick, there was more spit and sputter from the arc and I had to use a slightly slower spool feed speed than normal.


Thanks, that's the kind of info I was needing. Got the same type of indication from another poster, so I'm thinking I need a little more wattage than the 3000/3500 surge.

[jwitt]

I agree with the Professor. I think either of the gersets are a good choice. It may come down to cost. The Champion plus shipping and the Pro 3500 plus the cost of a pigtail or adapter.
I prefer not to use any adapters, especially in damp weather. I have also had extra heat from resistance in the area of the plug of the adapter. For me, I'd pay a little extra to avoid the use of an adapter. If the gen's were equal.
JIM

[professor95]

As a followup, I emailed Advanced and pending the outcome of their response, what's the best bang for the buck from Pep Boys? I'll be near their stores next weekend.

Please, do not intrepret the following statement as a personal endorsement for any particular product or vendor!

Take a few minutes and read back about 7-10 pages. You will note that the so called "NEW" Wen PowerPro 3500 available at PepBoys has a voltage selector switch (older models did not have this switch). If you get one of these newer models, all you will need to do is use an adapter to mate the 30 AMP TT plug to the standard duplex outlet on the front of the generator. This model does provide full wattage to a single 110/120 outlet.

Based on comments from other folks on this forum, this may be a good choice for the "most bang for the buck" you seek.

[dash8wrench]

As a followup, I emailed Advanced and pending the outcome of their response, what's the best bang for the buck from Pep Boys? I'll be near their stores next weekend.